Wall Street Journal, Nov. 25, 2018--Ben Eisen, Christina Rexrode (subscription)More than 80% of borrowers who refinanced in the third quarter chose the "cash out" option, withdrawing $14.6 billion in equity out of their homes, according to government-sponsored mortgage corporation Freddie Mac. That is the highest share of cash-out refis since 2007.

National Mortgage News, Nov. 25, 2018--Rachel Witkowski, Kate Berry (subscription)Bank regulators have not come out with a formal plan for updating the Community Reinvestment Act, but a preliminary list of questions about the reform effort issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has produced a treasure trove of public feedback to guide their deliberations.

UEXpress, Nov. 23, 2018--Lew SichelmanHomeowners are staying in their places longer than ever, according to the Census Bureau, further exacerbating the inventory shortage of houses for sale in many markets.

"Given the rapid increase in home prices over the past few years, and the recent pick-up in mortgage rates, the housing market continues to struggle with diminished affordability. The notable deceleration in median home price growth, 3.8% in October compared to roughly 6% in 2017, is a positive sign, as it indicates that home prices are rising at a more sustainable pace."--MBA Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni, on last week's existing home sales report.